The challenges of designing an optical system that operates effectively as an optical splitter and combiner are that for splitting a light source into any number of outputs, such as furcated fiber optic patch cables, the amount of light getting into each of the outputs is difficult to distribute equally. Also, when operating in a combining mode, the issue with combining several discrete emission sources is that usually these emissions are not optically coaxial. This means focusing several light sources into a single fiber optic patch cable for instance, requires using off-axis optical configurations. These problems and others inherent in the prior art devices are eliminated or greatly decreased through the use of the disclosed device.
The device disclosed in this application has specific advantages over the prior art for each of the operating modes. In the splitting mode the splitting of the light source via an internal reflector guarantees that all of the outputs will be nearly identical (expected to be <1%). Furthermore, by controlling the shape of the internal reflector, varying the reflectance of the surface, or adding specific filters, intensity or spectral equalization is possible in a reproducible way. In the combiner mode the internal reflector homogenizes the discrete inputs that then can be coupled to a single fiber optic output. The different optical axes of the emission from the discrete inputs are rendered insignificant through mixing by the internal reflector. By controlling the shape of the internal reflector, varying the reflectance of the surface, or adding specific filters, intensity or spectral equalization is possible in a reproducible way